Duca: World Series observations

Wednesday

Oct 28, 2009 at 2:00 AM

The New York Yankees are back in the World Series – according to their fans – where they belong. The Philadelphia Phillies are the defending champions, just in case you've forgotten. It's the Amtrak Armageddon, with fans and media able to take the train to follow a series featuring two of baseball's most historical franchises.

ROB DUCA

The New York Yankees are back in the World Series – according to their fans – where they belong. The Philadelphia Phillies are the defending champions, just in case you've forgotten. It's the Amtrak Armageddon, with fans and media able to take the train to follow a series featuring two of baseball's most historical franchises.

Here are a few things I'm thinking, wondering and anticipating while awaiting tonight's first pitch in the new Yankee Stadium:

• Imagine being a Cleveland fan tonight. You haven't tasted a World Series championship in 55 years and you tune in to watch former Indians Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia square off. Ouch! It is only the sixth time in history that Cy Young Award winners have faced each other in the Fall Classic. Lee enters Game 1 at 2-0, 0.74 ERA and Sabathia at 3-0, 1.19 during this postseason. If the series goes seven, we could see this tantalizing matchup three times.

• I'm guessing Roger Clemens won't be invited back to toss out the ceremonial first pitch. Ditto for Joe Torre.

• Pedro Martinez is scheduled to start Game 2, returning to New York in the postseason for the first time since losing the second game of the 2004 ALCS with the Red Sox, after which he spoke wistfully of sitting under a mango tree in his native Dominican Republic. The over-under on the first “Who's your daddy?” chant is two bullpen tosses. This will be fun. The blazing fastball of yore is gone, but Pedro is still effective and always entertaining.

• Whom will Fox TV show more during the Series, Alex Rodriguez or Kate Hudson? A-Rod has pulled off one of the great comebacks of all-time – rebounding from a steroids scandal, recovering from hip surgery, taking up with a Hollywood starlet and putting his October failures in the past with a spectacular postseason. One question: Is he a “true Yankee” yet?

• Joba Chamberlain doesn't appear as intimidating as he once did. As a New York writer aptly put it during the ALCS, the bridge to Mariano Rivera (which includes Phil Hughes) is creaking a bit.

• It's sad that the classic voice of Bob Sheppard will not be introducing the lineups at Yankee Stadium, with the exception of a taped recording when Derek Jeter comes to bat. Now 99 and in poor health, Sheppard stepped away from the microphone before the 2008 season, although he has never officially retired.

Often described as the “voice of God,” he began working Yankees games in Joe DiMaggio's final season of 1951. When one thinks of the Fab Four of PA announcers, Sheppard is right there alongside Dave Zinkoff, the colorful character who worked for the Philadelphia 76ers during the Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving eras; John Facenda, the original voice of NFL Films; and Sherm Feller, the legendary Red Sox announcer.

• Be prepared for endless shots of Rudy Giuliani. Question: Is Giuliani's butt bolted to that prime front-row seat next to the Yankees dugout? And what's the statute of limitations on a former mayor currying favors?

• The Phillies are better than many people realize. Lee, Martinez and Cole Hamels can silence any lineup, while Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino are as tough as they come under pressure. This Series isn't a slam dunk for the Yankees.

• It's understandable that Philadelphia fans are wary of closer Brad Lidge after a regular season in which he blew 11 saves, posted a 7.21 ERA and had opponents hit for a .301 average. But he's 3-for-3 in save opportunities during the postseason, allowing one hit and no runs in four innings. Still, he'll never remind anyone of the incomparable Rivera.

• Phillies manager Charlie Manuel reminds me of Grady Little. Same folksy manner. Same instinctual managing style. One big difference: Manuel won't hesitate to lift Pedro. We saw evidence of that in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers.

• The fourth game of the World Series will be played on Sunday, Nov. 1, starting at 8:20 p.m. That's just wrong.